Whilst his record on incoming transfers was mixed no better man for extracting maximum value from departing players and often involved in sales when the price for player was at the very top of market. And will always be remembered for somehow getting 500k for Andy Hughes (with the small profit on halford despite playing one game and the vast fee for nick Blackman not far behind)

I thought he had zero input into selecting players, that's down to the manager and scouts. He just did the admin to get them signed. The most input he had for player selection was working through the list of 2 or 3 players that the manager wanted.

Not sure how much to believe but rumours going around that BT is a gonner and RG wants more experience and someone that knows the club in that area.

Would be pleased if true.

Is this the RG who apparently doesnt had a clue what he's doing?

He doesnt...but then again nor does Tevreden..

Yeah, of course he doesn't, he just spent 20 years poncing a living at Umbro, Manchester United and Chelsea.

He openly admitted that there was a steep learning curve for him in the first year, which doesn't surprise me with someone new coming into a business and getting to grips with what needs sorting. This is a business that's been going in the wrong direction for 5 years, and like an oil tanker, it takes a lot of turning around. In the last few months he's been quietly getting things right IMO.

He's the CEO, the public face of the owners, his job is to run the business, not the footballing side of things which is the responsibility of the manager and DoF. He's the Nigel Howe of our current set up.

If this rumour is true then there's very sound business reasoning behind the decision.

PieEater I thought he had zero input into selecting players, that's down to the manager and scouts. He just did the admin to get them signed. The most input he had for player selection was working through the list of 2 or 3 players that the manager wanted.

This.

BT seems more of a Director of Football type - i.e., working with the scouts (and the manager) to select the players - and then also gets involved in the contracts.

NH was more of a Director of Football contracts. More about wheeling-dealing.

And, for me, it's not so much the selection of players where Brian looks a little suspect - that's always a bit hit and miss, no matter who is doing it - it's the actual deals to get them in (or move them on).

So if they are looking to being NH back in, it may be alongside Brian - with Brian taking on the player selection etc bit for Roeselare, and NH handling the contracts.

I know this is a discussion on Hammond, but given there is talk about BT I thought I would weigh in on that topic.

In BT’s first full season as DoF (or equivalent) he was managed by the very experienced Howe, who allowed him to get on with his job. During this season we unearthed some gems and ended up finishing 3rd.

Move forward to 2017 when Gourlay came in with a view to micro managing everything within the football club, and we’ve ended up with some dreadful signings that by and large we have paid over the odds for (either in transfer fees, wages or both).

It’s frustrating to see the negativity around BT, because he is a great bloke who is extremely capable of doing a superb job for this club. Unfortunately he has had his hands tied by the completely clueless Gourlay, who is unfortunately regressing our club with every day that goes by.

its obviously not clear who exactly does what. The long contracts that have been handed out to some of the players where they maybe shouldn't have been (Yann, Joey particularly) seem to have been more RG than BT

Wouldn't say the recruitment or the amounts paid have been particularly poor, excepting Aluko, on an individual basis. As mentioned, think Moore, Swift, Barrow, Yiadom, Meite were cracking bits of business. Could easily pull in a 20m+ profit from that lot.

Some of the dodgy ones - Martin, Edwards, arguably Mannone and Blackett, and the ones where the jury is still out - Clement, Bacuna, Ilori, Baldock, McNulty - have been generally reasonably good value deals, just maybe not the right players for the side at the time.

I'm not sure really who it is that says 'we need another midfielder' etc

From Despair To Where? Is this the RG who apparently doesnt had a clue what he's doing?

He doesnt...but then again nor does Tevreden..

Yeah, of course he doesn't, he just spent 20 years poncing a living at Umbro, Manchester United and Chelsea.

He openly admitted that there was a steep learning curve for him in the first year, which doesn't surprise me with someone new coming into a business and getting to grips with what needs sorting. This is a business that's been going in the wrong direction for 5 years, and like an oil tanker, it takes a lot of turning around. In the last few months he's been quietly getting things right IMO.

He's the CEO, the public face of the owners, his job is to run the business, not the footballing side of things which is the responsibility of the manager and DoF. He's the Nigel Howe of our current set up.

If this rumour is true then there's very sound business reasoning behind the decision.

The CEO’s role at Reading has everything to do with the footballing side of the club.

Unfortunately for us, Gourlay has absolutely no experience in the footballing recruitment side of the game, which has seen us dishing out contracts like it’s going out of fashion to create a completely over-inflated squad - which has subsequently hamstrung us in the transfer market.

The business side of the club, which he is supposed to have experience in, is completely floundering. The way the club is commercialised and marketed has regressed drastically over the last year.

Hound its obviously not clear who exactly does what. The long contracts that have been handed out to some of the players where they maybe shouldn't have been (Yann, Joey particularly) seem to have been more RG than BT

Wouldn't say the recruitment or the amounts paid have been particularly poor, excepting Aluko, on an individual basis. As mentioned, think Moore, Swift, Barrow, Yiadom, Meite were cracking bits of business. Could easily pull in a 20m+ profit from that lot.

Some of the dodgy ones - Martin, Edwards, arguably Mannone and Blackett, and the ones where the jury is still out - Clement, Bacuna, Ilori, Baldock, McNulty - have been generally reasonably good value deals, just maybe not the right players for the side at the time.

I'm not sure really who it is that says 'we need another midfielder' etc

All the players signed under Gourlay’s tenure are on completely over inflated contracts, trust me on that one. I wouldn’t be too surprised if there are some dodgy dealings within these.

WAZZOCK I know this is a discussion on Hammond, but given there is talk about BT I thought I would weigh in on that topic.

In BT’s first full season as DoF (or equivalent) he was managed by the very experienced Howe, who allowed him to get on with his job. During this season we unearthed some gems and ended up finishing 3rd.

Move forward to 2017 when Gourlay came in with a view to micro managing everything within the football club, and we’ve ended up with some dreadful signings that by and large we have paid over the odds for (either in transfer fees, wages or both).

It’s frustrating to see the negativity around BT, because he is a great bloke who is extremely capable of doing a superb job for this club. Unfortunately he has had his hands tied by the completely clueless Gourlay, who is unfortunately regressing our club with every day that goes by.

Hi Wazzock ive seen you berate RG many a time on here, you obviously have someone's ear at the club to know this stuff, so what is it he is doing/not doing for you/ your contact to have such a bad opinion of him. You've never really gone into detail..